by Emma Dean
He would know the significance of what she was about to reveal more than anyone.
“Azrael is hunting down other death gods, and those born of death gods – seeking to take over earth. He gifted my brother after he was stripped of his magic for the crimes he committed. Azrael turned him into a very powerful demon witch with the ability to create portals. I highly doubt my brother is the only witch he’s gifted those powers to. Not to mention the Angel of Death has taken twenty thousand demons from hell for his own personal army.”
It was exhausting having to explain it all again, realizing just how privileged everyone here was, but there was nothing else to do. She needed more witches and any hunter she could get her hands on.
“They attacked just yesterday for the first time and my brother challenged me for the title of Witch Queen. Sadly, he lost.” Mika tossed her hair over her shoulder, maintaining eye contact with the Alpha wolf.
“I’ve secured alliances with one raven eyrie, a coyote pack, a leash of raccoons, a pack of foxes, and the prince of hell. They will help me keep Azrael from taking over this plane. As much as possible anyway.”
“The coyotes?” All the wolves perked up at that. “They’ve agreed to join you?”
Mika shifted her eyes for a fraction of a second, letting them glow blue. It was too fast for anyone but a shifter to catch. Witches would assume it was nothing more than the light catching her own blue eyes.
“Why wouldn’t they?” Mika shrugged. Every single shifter had frozen when her eyes flashed that strange, glowing blue.
Then the Alpha looked away first.
Mika did the same with each of the shifters as she spoke. Copper for the bears, gold for the cats, and silver for the wolves. “I’ve been asked by the prince of hell and Jessica James to ensure that any allied demons, reapers, and hellhounds will not be hunted down if and when they cross over to assist here.”
Samuel gave her a long hard look, but he nodded.
Now that she’d established dominance with all the shifters – even if most of them still weren’t sure what had just happened – Mika turned to the witches.
“I’m asking for access to the hunters, to each of your packs and prides and covens. This is going to affect everyone. I’m offering sanctuary on my island for anyone who needs a safe place, but I will need help protecting the rest of us. I can’t be everywhere at once.”
“What makes you so sure Azrael will bother with anyone but you?” a male witch asked. “It seems his bone to pick is with children of death. Most witches and shifters are not descended from them.”
“Banshees are,” Audrey said, stepping forward. “Curiously missing from the Council. Ravens are as well. Who will do your dirty work when they’re gone? What about necromancers and shadow witches? Are you sure your family was gifted by Hecate and not one of the dozens of other witch goddesses, some of whom are also death gods?”
A lot of witch’s shifted uncomfortably at that.
The origins of witches were known to some degree, but thanks to centuries passing, the rise of monotheism, and the distance they’d put between themselves and their natural state, most didn’t know which god or goddess had given their line power, if any.
Technically no one was truly safe.
“And if Hecate is your creator,” the dean murmured. “She is also the goddess of necromancy. I assume Death would take offense to that.”
Mika grinned. She knew bringing Mircella had been a good idea.
“Azrael would have to breach our realm to begin with,” a female offered. “An army of that size would be noticed by the humans. He couldn’t possibly succeed.”
“You assume he would care about what the humans think,” Ethan snapped.
“It isn’t our problem,” another male said. “We were formed to ensure all paranormals were working together to some degree with the sole purpose to keep our world secret from the humans. The few rules and laws we have are more guidelines to ensure nothing gets out of hand enough that the humans pick up on it. They will notice if we start moving armies.”
“Fine, I’ll take care of it myself,” Mika snapped. “Do I at least have your agreement not to hunt down any reapers, hellhounds, or demons allied with Lucifer as long as they don’t break your precious rules?”
The Council members studied each other, not fighting her as much as she’d anticipated, but they also were very unhappy about her existence.
“We’ll take a vote,” the female witch said, the one Mika actually didn’t hate.
“All in favor of her request?” The witch raised her hand as she asked, and Mika felt a massive wave of relief sweep through her.
Then one by one, the shifters all raised their hands.
A few witches were in favor, but Mika noticed most who didn’t were male. Except Claire’s ex-fiancé, Jack Pine. Interesting.
She memorized those who were against and kicked herself for not doing the same with all their names.
“It looks like the majority is in favor,” the female said, waving her hand at Mika. “Now that you’re officially Head Witch, I expect to see you at the weekly meetings, Madam Marshall.”
Weekly?
Mika didn’t say anything though. She knew how lucky she was to walk away with what she had. “I look forward to it.”
Without waiting to be dismissed, Mika turned and walked out of those chambers, her heels clicking on the marble.
The doors closed behind her with a loud bang and she turned to see Samuel, a few of the wolves, and one bear.
Her gamble had paid off, even if it had been stupid and extremely risky.
“Yes?” Mika saw Malachi appear behind them, hands on his guns – ones she knew were loaded with silver.
“I wanted to talk to you in person,” Samuel said carefully.
Mika looked behind him at the others and they nodded in agreement. She wondered what exactly it was they wanted to talk about.
“Come to the university tomorrow at noon. Bring your Seconds and Thirds. We’ll talk then, where it’s safe.” Where there weren’t listening ears she couldn’t control. “I’m personally inviting you, which means I’m trusting you not to start fights with my friends and family. If someone spills blood in my territory, I will make sure that debt is paid.”
Samuel nodded. Shifters would understand better than most what that meant.
The bear crossed his arms over his chest with a frown, but he nodded too. The three wolves studied her. Two males nodded before the female did and Mika gave her a smile.
“How do we get there?” the female Alpha asked.
Someone with intelligence for once. Mika grinned at the men who hadn’t thought to ask that question. “Send me your addresses. I’ll send someone to fetch you.”
They all looked at Dagon then, realizing they might not like that mode of transportation.
“I’ll see you then.” Mika left with the others, heading toward the rented limo.
It was easier to take a portal if they could, but Mika didn’t trust the St. Louis coven and she didn’t want the Council watching as Dagon teleported three at a time.
“That could have been much worse,” Mircella stated, settling into one of the seats.
“Much worse,” Audrey agreed, scooting beside the dean. “I can’t believe I had to get dressed up for that.”
Mika snorted and ran her hands over her legs. “I kind of missed wearing a dress.”
“I believe I speak for us all when I say, me too,” Malachi said, staring her up at and down.
“Definitely more Bucky Barnes now, isn’t he Mika?” Lucien asked innocently.
She ignored him and took Dagon’s hand. “You’re insufferable, Lucien.”
“But you love me.” He gave her a wink right as Dagon teleported her, Audrey, and Mircella.
Mika couldn’t help her smile as the darkness wrapped around her.
She couldn’t imagine her life without them there to annoy her for the rest of her existence.
16
Mika was exhausted but being back on Morgana Island just felt right. She really liked the eyrie, but something about this place had always felt like home.
Standing on the broken bridge at the Morrigan’s temple with the cold wind whipping her hair, she took a deep breath of the salt and brine and stared out at the ocean. Should she meet with the undine today or wait until she knew what the shifters wanted?
With her new vision, she could see the four that were out there, just underneath the surface. They never looked away from her either. It was a little creepy, but she knew they sensed the change. There was a lot going on as they tried to figure out who would go where and who would do what.
“Can you see them?” Malachi asked, slipping out of the shadow realm without a sound. If Mika hadn’t been able to sense his energy she would have jumped.
“They’re waiting for my response.” Mika glanced up at the sky again, feeling the weight of the air. It was familiar and chilly. At some point it would start snowing, and she honestly couldn’t wait. Mika had missed winter.
“Why haven’t you talked to them yet?” Malachi stood close enough his shoulder brushed hers and she felt a completely different kind of chill.
Where did they stand exactly? Mika glanced at him and wished she had the balls to just ask.
“They make me uncomfortable,” she admitted. “I’m pretty sure they’d rather just kill me than establish a new alliance with a blood witch.”
“Maybe. But they can cross between realms, right?” Then his hand found hers and Mika felt her cheeks heat as his fingers laced through hers. “Wouldn’t that help locate Azrael?”
She hadn’t thought of that. “Probably.”
“When do the Alpha’s arrive?” Malachi started gently rubbing his thumb over her fingers.
Mika cleared her throat, but she didn’t pull away from him. She needed to just fucking ask already. “At noon.”
“Then you have plenty of time.”
She looked up at him, wondering what he was getting at. “For what?”
Malachi gave her a slow, cocky smile. “To talk to the undine. What did you think I meant?”
Pulling her hand from his, an awkward laugh escaped her, and Mika tucked her hair behind her ear, hoping he wouldn’t notice just how much he’d flustered her. “I wasn’t sure, you could have been asking me to spar again.”
“I’m always down for that.” She could hear the grin in his voice.
“Talking to them is probably a good idea,” she admitted. “The shifters might want to know about that. How’s everything else?”
Malachi shrugged and went right up to the edge of the crumbling bridge, crouching down and inspecting the dark, frothy ocean. It was definitely going to snow. “There’s not a lot of space, so a lot of the assassins are bunking. Same with the foxes and the coyotes. We’ve managed to assign each pack a House thanks to all the students who left.”
Mika ground her teeth together at the reminder.
Almost all of the high society witches had left. It hadn’t been all that unexpected, but Mika was severely disappointed that none of them seemed to be able to think for themselves. At least, most of them couldn’t.
There’d been a handful that had stayed, surprising her considering their families.
Mika had been shocked as shit that all of the hunters and shifters had stayed. Most of the human born witches had stayed as well, but not all. Mika wasn’t upset about it. They’d just discovered this world and weren’t sure they wanted to get messed up in a bunch of shit that wasn’t really their problem.
She would never fault them for choosing survival over heroism.
Because, honestly that was what it was. Idiocy disguised as something brave. Mika was no hero. She was just stupid enough to stick out her neck for others. All she had was time these days to flip tables, messing with the established order of the world.
Mika had never liked the way the world worked, how it was stacked in the favor of the most rich and powerful. Now she finally had a chance to do something about it. Unfortunately, most of them wouldn’t let her just fade into the sunset once it was all done.
If she didn’t die.
“I’m going to teleport my house here,” Mika told him. “That should help a little.”
Callie wouldn’t leave that fucking greenhouse, so Mika was going to put it somewhere she could protect it, and the people who wouldn’t leave it. So far nothing had happened per the blackthorn, but it would ease a lot of stress to have them all nearby.
“You can do that?” Malachi asked, glancing over his shoulder to inspect her from head to toe.
Why did his gaze always make her feel so self-conscious? Like he was the only one who noticed exactly what she was wearing, and then judged it. Malachi smiled slightly, approving of her relaxed goth chick look.
A long-sleeved baggy, black sweater covered her hands and all the rubies she wore. Her black jeans were skin-tight and the leather belt strapped knives to her right thigh as well as a few charms tinkling from the chain.
But it was the boots Malachi couldn’t stop looking at, as if he was imagining her stepping on him with them…and liked it.
“With a little help and a significant amount of blood,” she admitted, shifting slightly under the weight of his scrutiny. “It’s the same spell I used to teleport all our shit to the eyrie, just on a larger scale. The only reason it’s going to work is because the wards inscribed in the foundations will recognize my blood and power.”
“So, could Audrey do it?” Malachi stood and turned to face her, staring into her eyes with an intensity that made her wonder what exactly he saw. Was he looking for something?
“With enough power.” Mika tightened her ponytail. “I adopted her officially. She’s clan now. The spell tied her blood to mine.”
“What about her children?” Malachi took a step closer, eyeing the red lipstick on her lips. “Would they have Marshall blood? Or would that mess up the precious genetics of your clan?”
She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling defensive for some reason. “If I performed the adoption spell with her children it would work. But since she’s a lesbian, Audrey has asked to use the Marshall sperm we’ve banked when she’s ready. Not that it’s really any of your business.”
Malachi actually looked intrigued at that. “Is it none of my business because we aren’t blood bonded?”
Fuck, how did he even know about that?
Not that she’d been trying to hide it, but Mika had been fucking busy worrying about the fate of the world.
“No,” she snapped, glaring up at him. “It’s no one’s business but Audrey’s. Lucky for you she doesn’t care if you know.”
Only family, Audrey had insisted.
Whatever she and Malachi were, he was family, whether they ended up blood bonded or not.
“Ah, I was just curious,” he admitted, smiling slightly. “She already told me. I was just wondering where exactly I stood in the boyfriend hierarchy.”
Mika wished the bridge would crumble and drop him in the ocean.
“I don’t know, Malachi. What exactly are we?”
He rested his hand on her waist, and Mika froze as that dark brown gaze seemed to bore deep down into her soul. His other hand tipped her chin up so he could get a good look. Mika wished she knew what he was thinking, what it was he saw.
“You’re keeping a secret,” Malachi murmured. “I’m not sure if anyone else knows you are, we haven’t talked about it, but I can see it.”
How could he possibly know that?
“What kind of secret do you think I’m keeping?” Mika slid her arms around his waist and leaned into him, enjoying the feel of his hard muscles.
“I don’t know. At this point, it could honestly be anything. But based on what I see you doing every day…you’re stronger than you’re letting on.”
She tried to pull away, but he locked his arms, trapping her against him.
“You have the worst poker face sometimes.” Malach
i leaned down and kissed one corner of her mouth, and then the other. “Is it a secret power?”
Mika didn’t think immortality really counted as a power per se. “No.”
“Is it how much power you have?”
It was definitely more than she had before and technically she hadn’t told anyone that.
“Ah, how much more then?” he asked, brushing his lips against hers.
“It’s hard to think when you do that,” she snapped. “And why exactly does it matter? What do you care?”
“It’s hard to help you, to give you the space you need to kick ass, when I’m not sure exactly what it is you’re capable of.” Then his tongue licked her lips and Mika felt it as if he’d licked her between her thighs.
“You’re just being the coach then?” Fuck, her voice was getting breathy and ridiculous.
“You can get out of this hold if you really wanted to,” he teased. Malachi kissed her long and slow.
Mika’s hands pressed into his lower back instead of pulling away like he’d suggested – like she’d thought she wanted.
“Why are all of you so persistently annoying?” she asked, pulling back just enough she could look into his eyes.
“Because you like it.” Malachi kissed her again and this time she relaxed into him, pressing the full length of her body against his.
She knew he was right, even if it was aggravating as hell to have someone call her out on it.
“Oh shit! Ethan look!” Lucien practically screamed.
Mika really did try to get away then, and nearly pushed Malachi into the ocean in the process. Her cheeks were on fire and she wished she could get just one fucking moment without someone making her feel ridiculous.
“He’s finally making his mooooves.” Lucien snickered. “You go Bucky.”
“Can someone please fucking explain this stupid joke to me?” Malachi demanded, holding Mika to his side instead of letting her go. “I don’t get it.”
Ethan grinned, hands in his pockets. “Prior to what happened over the summer, you were lovingly referred to as Captain America.”
Mika wished she could just fucking die already. “I’m, uh, gonna go down and talk to the undine.”